Engine Light + Tractor Idle - Help

[phat///M3]

Had the Engine shaped light (not the EML letters) come on yesterday afternoon, so instantly pulled over only to notice the car was idling very roughly, I mean the whole car is vibrating very badly.

Was only 2 mins away from home so nursed the car home, not sure if there was a loss of power or not as I was too worried I would mess something up.

My first thoughts are coils, as my car is a 2003 so technically speaking should have Bremi ones in it, might be a spark plug but its had inspection II really recently so would think they should be new.

Thinking of having a look at the coils myself and swap them out for Bosch ones.

Can the car be driven to the dealership without hurting anything to get the codes read?

[mattCSLnut]

Had the Engine shaped light (not the EML letters) come on yesterday afternoon, so instantly pulled over only to notice the car was idling very roughly, I mean the whole car is vibrating very badly.

Was only 2 mins away from home so nursed the car home, not sure if there was a loss of power or not as I was too worried I would mess something up.

My first thoughts are coils, as my car is a 2003 so technically speaking should have Bremi ones in it, might be a spark plug but its had inspection II really recently so would think they should be new.

Thinking of having a look at the coils myself and swap them out for Bosch ones.

Can the car be driven to the dealership without hurting anything to get the codes read?

Is that the Yellow engine outline light (Emission light) that's come on ? Might be one or both of your Lambda sensors or maybe the cats are getting old.

If the said dealer did the Inspection 2 recently get them to recover the car and look into it as I'm sure all their work is covered by a two year warranty.:thumbs: Just my 2 pence worth :whistle:

[phat///M3]

Yup its the engine outline one.

Need to find someone with diagnostic software around me to find out what it is.

[shane@mbtech]

Is that the Yellow engine outline light (Emission light) that's come on ? Might be one or both of your Lambda sensors or maybe the cats are getting old.

If the said dealer did the Inspection 2 recently get them to recover the car and look into it as I'm sure all their work is covered by a two year warranty.:thumbs: Just my 2 pence worth :whistle:

And when its nothing to do with what the dealer did at the service he then gets a recovery charge. :banghead:

[phat///M3]

Yeah the stupid service guy at BMW said to have it towed there as they couldnt determine whether I would get new coils under a service bulletin that is floating around on the internet.

The SIB says its unlimited mileage and 8 years I believe, so I fall in that, but they say it most likely wont be honoured and that I need to bring the car in for them to present it to the manager.

I know I wont get them from them, as last time the muppets changed my dif oil for the old oil and they test drove the car with the dif being noisy, I went mad and in the end they still made me pay for the new dif oil just not the labour.

So I know they will try to screw me there even if it is their fault.

[Nords]

Is that the Yellow engine outline light (Emission light) that's come on ? Might be one or both of your Lambda sensors or maybe the cats are getting old.

If the said dealer did the Inspection 2 recently get them to recover the car and look into it as I'm sure all their work is covered by a two year warranty.:thumbs: Just my 2 pence worth :whistle:

My Lambda sensor was knackered and has just been replaced but the emission light didn't come on...
:smt087

[Bounce]

I had this once on my Mrs e46 tourer,turned out to be a split breather hose,so may not be to bad a fix.

[phat///M3]

Thanks for the tip, Im going to investigate the breather hose thing tomorrow morning as I found that on another forum this morning too.

This just had to happen on a Friday.

[mattCSLnut]

My Lambda sensor was knackered and has just been replaced but the emission light didn't come on...
:smt087

Maybe your dash bulb was knackered as well :whistle:

[Nords]

Maybe your dash bulb was knackered as well :whistle:

Quite possible! :hahaha:

[cantfind1]

Sounds like a coil with the symptoms you are experiencing, lambda sensor would not produce that rougher running, and cats should not have failed so soon. Easy to diagnose which coil it is. Remove strutbrace, microfilter and housing, rocker cover, replace oil cap and breather tube from oil separator. Start engine then starting at coil 1 remove and note any change in idle or if engine cuts out. If there is a change or it cuts out it is not that coil. If there is no change then it is that coil(or spark plug). Once you have identified the coil you can then swap them over to see if it is the spark or the coil.

If you have the Bremi coils then just replace all six they are useless and will all go eventually.

Hope this helps.

[phat///M3]

Sounds like a coil with the symptoms you are experiencing, lambda sensor would not produce that rougher running, and cats should not have failed so soon. Easy to diagnose which coil it is. Remove strutbrace, microfilter and housing, rocker cover, replace oil cap and breather tube from oil separator. Start engine then starting at coil 1 remove and note any change in idle or if engine cuts out. If there is a change or it cuts out it is not that coil. If there is no change then it is that coil(or spark plug). Once you have identified the coil you can then swap them over to see if it is the spark or the coil.

If you have the Bremi coils then just replace all six they are useless and will all go eventually.

Hope this helps.

Thanks mate, this is what I am going to do today, wanted to do it last night but the light in the garage (appartment community) has given up so no chance for that.

Will report back if its the coils, and yes if it is the Bremi's I will replace all 6 with Bosch items. Fingers crossed its the coils.

[phat///M3]

I have Bremi coils, but the thing is when I unplug one (whichever one that may be) I notice a difference in idle (it gets worse and the engine vibrates even more).

So I guess I need to find a way to get diagnostic to my place.

[phat///M3]

Forgot to add, funny thing is when I started it earlier the light showed up but the idle seemed normal at first and it took a while for it to be rough again.

[phat///M3]

Car starts up/idles like normally when cold, not long after the rough idle kicks in. Any guru's out there?